NHL Player News
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Alex Tuch RW | BUF
Sabres' Alex Tuch: Pots two goals Sunday
Tuch scored two goals, including one on the power play and one shorthanded, on four shots, and added three hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Lightning.
Tuch found the back of the net twice in the second period and showed his versatility, scoring on the man advantage but also while the Sabres had one fewer player on the ice. Tuch should continue to find ways to produce as long as he remains part of the first line -- he's registered five goals and eight points over his last six appearances.
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Jason Zucker LW | BUF
Sabres' Jason Zucker: Three points Sunday
Zucker recorded two goals, including one on the power play, and added a power-play assist in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Lightning.
Zucker has scored in three of the Sabres' last four games, and the forward continues to experience a spike in his production with four goals and five points over his last four appearances. However, this comes after a nine-game stretch between Jan. 27 and Feb. 28 in which he only recorded two goals and an even plus-minus rating. Zucker might be worth keeping close tabs on due to his recent uptick in production, but it's hard to trust him on a steady basis.
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Brad Marchand LW | FLA
Panthers' Brad Marchand: Unavailable Tuesday
Marchand (lower body) won't play against Detroit on Tuesday, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.
Marchand didn't participate in Monday's practice and has a doctor visit scheduled to assess his lingering injury. He missed 10 of Florida's 15 games before the Olympics because of the issue, but he was able to play in most of the tournament for Team Canada in Italy. Depending on what happens with his evaluation, this could turn into another extended absence for the 37-year-old forward. Marchand has 27 goals, 54 points and 138 shots on net across 52 appearances this season.
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Tage Thompson C | BUF
Sabres' Tage Thompson: Stellar playmaking display
Thompson recorded four assists, including three on the power play, in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Lightning.
Thompson didn't find the back of the net in this high-scoring win, but he didn't need to do so in order to make a huge impact on offense after participating directly in four of the team's eight goals. His four assists were a season-best output for the 28-year-old playmaker, who's posted 15 points (six goals, nine assists) during his active 11-game point streak.
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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen G | BUF
Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Beaten seven times Sunday
Luukkonen stopped 21 of 28 shots in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Lightning.
This is clearly an outing that didn't favor Luukkonen's recent strong run of play, but at least he extended his winning streak to four games. He had allowed two or fewer goals in each of his previous three wins, and the 27-year-old will aim to bounce back in his next start. That said, the Sabres have been alternating the workload between the pipes of late, so it wouldn't be surprising if Alex Lyon gets the nod against the Sharks on Tuesday.
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Spencer Knight G | CHI
Blackhawks' Spencer Knight: Not ready to return
Knight (illness) won't be in the lineup for Monday's home matchup against Utah, according to Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports.
Knight was on the ice briefly for Monday's optional morning skate, but he will miss his third straight game. He has some additional time to recover, as Chicago is off until Thursday's road rematch against the Mammoth. Knight has a 16-18-8 record this season with three shutouts, a 2.63 GAA and a .908 save percentage through 42 appearances.
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Zach Whitecloud D | CGY
Flames' Zach Whitecloud: Not traveling with team
Whitecloud (upper body) didn't travel with the Flames for their five-game road trip, Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports Monday.
While the team hopes Whitecloud will be able to join them at some point during the trip, his absence figures to keep him out for at least the back-to-back versus the Capitals and Rangers on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. With Whitecloud unavailable, Joel Hanley will return to the lineup after missing Saturday's contest versus Carolina due to an illness.
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Drew Commesso G | CHI
Blackhawks' Drew Commesso: Between pipes Monday
Commesso will tend the twine at home versus Utah on Monday, Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports reports.
Commesso will be making his third appearance in the crease for the Blackhawks this season, having posted a 1-1-0 record and one shutout with five goals allowed on 60 shots in his first two contests. With Spencer Knight (illness) unavailable, Commesso gets the nod while Arvid Soderblom serves as the backup against the Mammoth.
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Igor Shesterkin G | NYR
Rangers' Igor Shesterkin: Exits ice first
Shesterkin was the first goalie to leave the ice Monday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports, indicating he'll be between the pipes on the road versus the Flyers.
Shesterkin is undefeated in regulation over his last four outings, going 2-0-2 with 12 goals allowed on 119 shots. Despite the Rangers being a long shot to make the postseason, the 30-year-old backstop figures to continue seeing the bulk of the workload for New York ahead of Jonathan Quick.
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Joel Hanley D | CGY
Flames' Joel Hanley: Set to play Monday
Hanley (illness) is expected to be back in the lineup versus the Capitals on Monday, Derek Wills of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.
Hanley will be back in action after missing just one game due to his illness. The defenseman has yet to score a goal in 58 games this season and has managed just one helper in his previous 22 outings. Given his lack of offensive upside, fantasy managers will want to pursue alternative fantasy options on the blue line.